Elections to the

Telangana Legislative
Assembly – 2018

Compilation of Instructions
for
Counting Officers/ staff
District Election Officer/
Collector & District Magistrate,
Medchal – Malkajgiri District

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 I. Recall major legal provisions related to counting and election return
RP ACT 1951
Section – 64 (Counting of Votes)  Counting under supervision and direction of the RO
 Contesting candidate /election agent/counting agents
have a right to be present
Section – 64A (Destruction, loss etc…  RO shall report the matter to the ECI
of EVMs at the time of counting)  ECI may direct counting to be stopped and declare poll to
be void, order re-poll for that polling station
 Or if satisfied the result of election will not get materially
affected, may allow counting to be completed
Section – 65 (Equality of votes)  Results to be decided by draw of lot by RO
Sec – 66: Declaration of Results  In the absence of any otherwise direction from ECI, RO to
declare the result
Sec – 67: Report of the Result  RO to report result to ECI & Appropriate authority (i.e.
Secretary State Legislature/ Parliament, who shall get it
published in official Gazette immediately.
Sec - 128:  Applicable to officer/clerk/agent/person performing
Maintenance of duty in connection to Election (during poll or
secrecy of counting).
voting  RO/ARO should take an oath to maintain secrecy of
voting & read it out aloud before the commencement
of counting of votes.
 Violation punishable with 3 months imprisonment or
fine or with both.
Sec - 129: Officers, etc. at elections  Applicable to DEO/RO/AROs/Polling staff.
not to act for candidates or to  Imprisonment up to 6 months /fine/ (Or) Both.
influence voting
Sec - 136: Other  Guilty of electoral offence: tampering with EVM/ballot
offences and penalties thereof [Sub box or ballot paper /nomination paper fraudulently
sections to (1)-(4)]  Imprisonment up to 6 months or 2 years /fine (Or)
Both
Rule - 66A  In relation to counting of votes where EVMs used, the
provisions of Rules 50-54 have been made applicable.
And in lieu of Rule 55, 56 and 57, Rules 55C, 56C and 57C
have been made applicable.
Rule – 51  The RO will take all measures to fix the date, time and
location of counting one week prior to the date of
counting announced by ECI and notices will be issued in
writing to each candidate/ agent
Rule – 52  As per ECI guidelines, RO will take care of appointment of
polling agents in FORM – 18 with a limit of (16) agents
for each counting station.
Rule - 53: Admission to the place of  Nobody else except RO/ARO, counting staff, candidates,
counting their election agents and counting agents’ public servants
on duty, persons authorized by ECI
 Whosoever misconducts himself or fail to obey lawful
direction of RO shall be removed from counting hall.
Rule – 54: Secrecy of Voting  RO to read out provision of Section – 128 aloud before
commencement of counting

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 II. Legal Provisions relating to process of initiating counting
process
Rule - 55C: Scrutiny and inspection of  Counting staff and counting agents to inspect and ensure that
EVMs before counting the CU is not tampered, and all seals are intact. In case not,
report matter to ECI
Rule - 56C: Actual counting  Press the result button and see the display of votes count.
 Note down the same in part-II of form 17C. Counting
supervisor to sign on it along with willing candidate counting
agent
 Corresponding entries to be made in form-20
Rule - 60  Provides for continuous voting
Rule - 61  Provides for re-commencement of counting after fresh poll
Rule - 63  Providers for recount of votes
Rule - 64  Provides for declaration of result of election
Rule - 65  Provides for counting at 2 or more places
Rule - 66  Provides for grant of certificate of election to returned
candidate
III. Arrangement to be made for Counting staff & Agents
 Counting staff will be appointed by the RO duly assessing based on no. of counting halls and
no. of counting tables.
 Each table will have a team of officer and staff consisting of One Counting Supervisor
preferably a gazetted officers of central/ state govt. or officer of equivalent status of PSUs,
One Counting Assistant, One Group – IV Employee, Reserve Staff, Additional Counting
Assistant for observer to do parallel counting.
 Officers/ staff allotment will be done by randomization.
 A Micro – Observer for each counting table deputed from Central Government.
 Ensuring adequate hands on training
IV. Process of appointment of Agents of contesting candidates

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 V. Form – 18 – Appointment of Counting Agents:

VI. Layout of Counting Hall:

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 VII. Security Arrangements to be made at Counting Centers:
 The place of counting should be decided at least one week before the date of poll.

 ECI fixes a common date and time of counting which should be intimated to contesting

candidates

 Preferably place of counting should be in district HQ though there is no objection if it is

outside the area.

 Send proposal of counting centers to ECI for approval soon after last date for withdrawal of

nominations

 Format for sending proposals to ECI as in Annexure XXXIX-A of Hand Book of RO

 Should have adequate lighting with proper standby arrangements (generator, etc.)

 Make arrangement of loud speaker and a black board for dissemination information

regarding trends in counting and results to public and media Computer centre with facility

for online transmission through GENSYS, Telephone, Fax, Data communication, Senior

Officer – ARO or official from Public Relations dept. at Media Centre

 NO staff/candidate/agent can enter without display of duly issued photo I-card

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  Personnel allowed into Counting Hall - Counting supervisors and assistants, Personnel

authorized by ECI, Public Servants on duty in connection with election, Candidates, their

election agents and counting agents

 Ensure that no one else has entered the hall

 Seating Arrangement in Counting hall – Layer-1 – Agents of national parties, Layer-2 –

Agents of state parties, Layer-3 – Agents of candidates of recognized state parties of other

states permitted to use reserve symbol, Layer-4 – Agents of candidates of registered

unrecognized parties, Layer-5 – Agents of Independent candidates.

 Agents shouldn’t be allowed to move about hall. However, Candidates/ Election Agents

can move around hall

 Only one person – either candidate or agent to be present at a table on behalf of

contesting candidate

VIII. Counting of Votes received through Postal ballots:

 Under Rule 54A, postal ballot papers are to be counted first so in all cases, 1st
round shall be for PBs only.

 Counting of PBs to be done at RO’s table only.

 Covers in Form 13C received in time to be opened one by one.

 Take out declaration in Form 13A and cover in Form 13B. If no 13 A is found in
the cover, then reject.

 Scrutinize Declaration

 Reject if not duly signed/attested by competent authority

 Also reject if substantially defective or Serial Number in 13 A and 13 B does not

match.

 Each rejected cover to be endorsed suitably; declaration & cover Form 13B
placed in Form 13C

 All such covers to be kept separately and sealed with noted on top for easy
identification

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  All declarations in order to be kept together and sealed so that secrecy of ballot
is not violated

 This should be done before Form 13B containing ballot paper is opened

 Now open 13B and scrutinize Postal Ballot Paper and take decisions

 Count valid votes and credit each candidate with votes given to him.

 Calculate total No. of votes received by each candidate

 This should be entered in Result Sheet in Form 20 in appropriate location

 Announce this result aloud for information of candidates

 All valid and rejected PB papers to be bundled, packed, sealed with your seal,
candidates’ seal if they wish and then ECI Secret seal

 Particulars (name of constituency, date of counting, brief description of

contents) on sealed packet

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 IX. Counting of Votes recorded in EVMs:

1) Sequential process to initiate counting process:

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 2) Referential Images - initiating and completing Counting Process:

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 3) Precautions to be followed:
1) EVMs to be distributed sequentially, i.e. PS no. 1 to Table 1 and so on. Nodal
officer to ensure.
2) Keep account of such distribution with you
3) Only CU required for Counting. BU to be brought into hall only if inspection
required
4) Along with CU, sealed cover containing Form 17C (Account of Votes) to be
brought to counting table.
5) Remove the seals from carrying case, take out CU. Place on table for inspection
of seals by Candidates/ agents before counting of votes.
6) When taken out of carrying case, check:
a. That it is the same CU supplied to the PS
b. Seal on Cand set Section is intact.
c. Outer Strip Seal in Result Section
d. Special Tag in Result Section
7) Sl. No. on green paper seal to tally with paper seal account prepared by PrO in
Form 17C: Part I: Item 9.
8) Decide if clerical errors or actually tampered with. If tampered with, keep aside
and inform ECI immediately
9) If seal is properly intact and there is no tampering, votes will be counted.
Proceed further.
10)Observer will randomly select two EVMs and once again count votes of that PS
with help of additional counting staff.
11)Officer compiling result in result in result sheet in form – 20 will do so strictly as
per entries in Part II of Form 17 C.
Profarma for recording of Votes by Additional Counting Staff:

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